Club History

The ISU Women's Club History

The ISU Women's Club has the distinction of being the oldest campus organization. The Club, as well as the University, has undergone name changes since its inception in 1923. At that time, the wife of the president of Idaho Technical Institute, Mrs. Charles R. Frazier (Alice), believed there was a need for the wives of faculty men to become better acquainted and function as a group to assist the administration with social events. To this end, she invited the wives to her campus home. After the first meeting, they met once a month in the lounge of Turner Hall, the first girls' dormitory. Alice wanted the Club to be informal; so meetings consisted of conversation while working on individual handiwork and sharing simple refreshments.

Alice Frazier was the sole officer for the first two years of the group known as the Faculty Wives Club. Mrs. E.O. Leonard was the first elected president, serving with a treasurer and a secretary. A constitution was designed and dues of one dollar were collected. At this time, the Club welcomed babies born to faculty with a sterling silver spoon. There were notable occasions when the early Club served in a social role; a tea for Mrs. Ethel Redfield, Idaho Commissioner of Education, for wives of legislators who visited campus, and for other prominent community members; picnics, dinners and other social gatherings were a part of the Club's function.

In the late 1920s and 1930s, regular meetings and faculty dinners were held in the basement of Swanson Hall. When this site was needed for academic purposes, the wife of the president of the now Southern Branch of the University of Idaho, Mrs. John Nichols (Shirley), invited the Club to meet in her home. Meetings were held here until the first Student Union (presently the Administration Building) was built. At this time, the late thirties, the Club was known as the Faculty Women's Club and included women faculty members as well as wives of faculty. At about the same time, a small loan fund for female students was established after considerable discussion as to whehter or not this project conflicted with the Club's origianl function of promoting friendship.

Regular meeting times were changed to evenings. The first small interest group was the sewing group--the first of many interest groups to organize. Later, a Bridge group was formed and still meets on a regular basis. The last 35 to 40 years have seen the Club evolve into a fairly structured organization that continues to promote friendship among its members from the University as well as expand its role to raise funds for scholarships. In the late 1980's, the name of the Club was changed to the ISU Women's Club, thus better representing the makeup of the membership: faculty and staff women, wives/partners of faculty and staff, women retirees and alumni.

In 1998, a governing board was formed to meet the needs of the increasing size of the Club, the commitment to scholarships, and the new scholarship endowment fund. From a small group whose primary function was to promote friendship, the Club has grown and thrived for over 95 years. The strong bonds of friendship and commitment to the endowment fund have been the guiding force keeping the Club strong and ready to continue its traditions.